The present invention relates to water-flow control apparatus in general and in particular to a water-flow control device for use in a toilet flushing apparatus for controlling the flow of water between a toilet tank and a toilet bowl.
A typical toilet comprises a toilet tank and a toilet bowl. In the toilet tank there is provided flushing apparatus. When the flushing apparatus is operated, water stored in the tank flows from the tank into the toilet bowl for flushing the toilet bowl.
The flushing apparatus in the toilet tank is typically connected to a source of water. The flow of water from the water source into the tank is controlled by a valve assembly. The control of the valve assembly is provided by an air-tight ball or the like coupled to the valve assembly for turning off the flow of water when the water level in the tank reaches a predetermined level. For flushing the bowl after the desired amount of water is in the tank, there is provided in the tank and extending through a wall of the tank, a flushing arm and handle assembly. The flushing arm is connected to the handle assembly and to a valve member for releasing the water from the toilet tank to the toilet bowl. In one type of flushing apparatus, the flushing arm and handle assembly lifts the valve member by a system of lift wires, including an upper and a lower lift wire. The upper lift wire is called hereinafter a flushing wire so as to distinguish it from the lower lift wire which is simply called hereinafter the lift wire. The lower lift wire is attached to the valve member, as by threads and has an upper free end with a lift wire eyelet on the upper free end. A lift wire guide is provided for guiding the vertical travel of the lift wire when the flushing arm and handle assembly is operated for lifting the valve member. In this type of flushing apparatus the valve member typically comprises a ball type valve member. In other types of flushing apparatus, the valve member comprises a lid type or flapper type valve member. In the apparatus using a flapper type valve member, a lift wire guide is not required because the flapper valve is usually pivotably attached to the apparatus. Generally it is attached to the overflow pipe and lifted as by a chain connected to the flushing arm and handle assembly. Whatever the particular type, shape, style or construction of the valve member, it is generally somewhat buoyant such that, when the flushing arm and handle assembly is operated for lifting the valve member, the valve member, once lifted to a predetermined position, will tend to float until the water level in the tank is reduced to a predetermined minimum level, at which time the valve member will close the discharge outlet opening of the toilet tank and stop the flow of water therefrom into the toilet bowl.
Because the valve member controlling the flow of water from the discharge outlet tends to float when it is raised a predetermined amount, substantially all of the water in the toilet tank is discharged before the valve member closes the discharge outlet whenever the flushing arm and handle assembly is operated. For example, if a toilet tank contains 7 gallons of water, substantially all of the 7 gallons of water will be discharged into the toilet bowl even though the object or objects sought to be flushed from the toilet bowl do not require that much water to be flushed from the toilet bowl.
Due to severe water shortages in various parts of the country, it is presently important for the people in those parts to conserve water, and one of the methods employed for conserving water is to control the amount of water used for flushing toilets.
The amount of water used each time a toilet is flushed may be controlled in a number of ways. One of the ways the amount of water used may be controlled is by modifying the existing apparatus. If this is done by the manufacturer, it is, of course, time-consuming and expensive and would require adequate records to show the market areas in which the toilets are to be sold and to indicate which toilets sent to those areas must be modified. As a practical matter, this is nearly impossible to accomplish since, even in fairly localized market areas, certain portions of any given area are not necessarily suffering from a lack of water.
An alternative to a manufacturer modifying the toilet flushing apparatus to reduce the amount of water used for flushing a toilet, the purchaser or user of the toilet may perform the modification. While this may be considerably less expensive, it is still troublesome and would ordinarily require instructions from the manufacturer. Also, when the water shortage is passed, it would require, in any case, a reversal of the steps used for modifying the apparatus to return the apparatus to its original factory configuration.
A further consideration is that at times it may be desirable to be able to use a full tank of water for flushing.
For these reasons, whatever means or method is used for controlling water flow from a toilet tank into a toilet bowl, it is preferable if it is easy to implement and remove, reliable and inexpensive and, most importantly, meets the varied flushing needs and requirements of the persons using it. These needs and requirements will vary as a function of the liquid and solid character of the waste being flushed.